This week has been a typical school week but with some Italian flare. We’ve had class (sadly, in a classroom for our Art History class… we’re not out and about Siena until tomorrow) and I continue to learn more Italian each day. Monday was mainly a recovery day from the busy weekend, getting organized after Italian class and enjoying catching up with Stella about our travels. We tried to stay inside most of the day because it was insanely hot and humid! I don’t think I’ll complain about the Florida heat when I return home because at least I have air-conditioning to return to! Then Tuesday, I had my Italian and Art History class. In Italian, we were learning possessives and Marco wanted us to practice them using our family as an example. Since I have a small family and no siblings, Marco had me use John and his family as the example. For instance, “Sua madre si chiama Lisa, suo padre si chiama Steve, e le sue sorelle si chiamano Amy e Emma.” Marco had no problems spelling the names on the board except for John’s, which he first tried writing as Gian (the Italian way), then Jhon, then Johon. At any rate, Marco is now very familiar with the Shackelford family! Tuesday afternoon I was scheduled to have my first meeting with my new language partner so I could practice Italian and he could practice English, but unfortunately he never showed up, but waiting in Piazza Mercato for him wasn’t too bad since it was somewhat breezy. Then after Art History class, everyone in the CET program got ready for our Bruschetta night! Two of the girls came up with the idea of a bruschetta potluck – at 8:30pm we all met at their apartment bringing our favorite toppings for bruschetta and they provided the bread, olive oil, and oven. They have a nice terrace/balcony outside, so they set up a picnic blanket for everyone to sit on, played music, served wine, and we all enjoyed the cooler evening. Everyone’s bruschetta was very tasty! Ana Rose and I made a “caprese salad-esque” bruschetta: pesto, mozzarella, tomato, olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top of the bread – all toasted and warm! Others made roasted veggies, eggplant, and prosciutto toppings. For dessert we had nutella, peanut butter, and honey bruschetta – yumm… It was a fun evening, and I was quite full afterwards because Stella still made us some dinner before we left, since according to her “Bruschetta does not qualify for dinner.” So Ana Rose and I enjoyed her delicious couscous and vegetable mix beforehand too.
Today (Wednesday) was thankfully overcast in the morning, so we didn’t have to sweat through Italian class. We learned a little more about Marco’s family too. For instance, his children are bilingual because his wife is from Connecticut. Marco met her when she was studying abroad in Italy and was one of his students! When I mentioned that the Shackelford’s used to live in Connecticut too, Marco starting laughing, saying that everything led back to them! Then that afternoon I had Art History and we learned about a statue that I had seen on my trip to Lucca with Ana Rose – PG was very impressed that I knew the history behind the statue! It’s always exciting seeing art that we’ve learned about. We also studied Michelangelo today because he was very influence by Sienese painters. I found the information we learned about Michelangelo’s Creation of Man in the Sistine Chapel (the one with God touching Adam’s finger) very interesting because Michelangelo took a traditional subject and added theology to it. In the painting, Adam already has the perfect, physical human body but he is not “created” until God touches him. Through this, Michelangelo shows that what makes “man” man is God’s touch, giving Adam a soul and life. Also in the painting, God’s cloak envelopes him and the angels so it resembles a brain. In this way, Michelangelo shows that all of the present exists in God’s brain (Mary/Eve –it’s debated who it is- sits next to God) so the human dimension is only where time as we know it exists. Lastly, Michelangelo’s angels do not have wings because they fly because of faith, not wings. Then after class, we had our free gelato day! Always a welcome treat with this heat! Tonight for dinner Stella made a Sicilian meal consisting of swordfish simmered with sautéed tomatoes, onions, olives, and capers. But the most unique part was the spaghetti with garlic and octopus ink sauce! The spaghetti noodles had turned completely black from the ink, and as we ate, all of our teeth and tongues were turning black too! It was definitely unique and fun to try, but I’m not sure if I’d venture to make it back in the States. Cuisine is such an integral part of Italy, and I love our leisurely two-hour/longer meals too.
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